TRENTON — One city business owner seems to be profiting from the recent missteps of high ranking city officials.

“Sometimes I make like double the amount,” said Aries Cespedes, owner of Sianna’s Food Service, the only cafeteria type restaurant located in the Clarkson S. Fisher Federal Courthouse. The first time entrepreneur has experienced a windfall of business since high profile cases like Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo’s official misconduct trial and most recently, Trenton’s Mayor Tony Mack’s corruption case, has brought an influx of lawyers, jurors and media to the building.

“This is the only place to get food in the building,” said the 29-year-old. “Bencivengo came in to get a cup of coffee once.”

The first-time business owner landed the prime real-estate after taking advantage of the Randolph-Sheppard Act, a federal law which mandates a priority to blind persons to operate vending and food service facilities on federal property. Proprietors are put through a rigorous food preparation training and then given space within federal buildings rent-free.

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“I am legally blind, and started losing my sight when I was 16,” said Cespedes. He suffers from Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) Disease — an inherited, degenerative eye disease that causes severe vision impairment and often blindness.

“I’m over it now, I don’t feel bad,” he said. “But when the sun goes down you won’t see me on the street.”

Cespedes keeps the restaurant bright and is able to service clients as long as light filters through the windows and from the bright florescent lights above. His mom, Milly, is often seen in the kitchen area, packing made to order sandwiches for customers who are looking for something more than what is readily available in the fridge.

The man estimates he makes $400 a day servicing jurors and federal personnel who work in the building however, during high profile cases Cespedes works even harder to make sure visiting lawyers, witnesses and even the accused are treated to a great meal at a very affordable price, marking retail sales at approximately two to three times more than the daily average.

“I don’t pay rent so I am able to charge a little less,” he said. “An average lunch here costs $5 to $7.”

The first time restaurateur left a career in sports retail to launch a long lasting business. Although he greets every customer with a smile, he tries to remain impartial to those who are accused of white collar crimes. “I don’t ask them anything about the case,” he said. “I just try to do the best job I can no matter who comes in.”